In a most traditional soccer warm up a ball is put into play because coaches want to get in as many touches as possible on the ball. This is fine; however, from an injury prevention perspective, the muscles need to be warm and prepared to do many movements. It is for this reason that I am introducing you to three non-ball components to a solid warm up.
The components are foam rolling, “active stretching” and “dynamic stretching” (movement).
What is foam rolling and how will it help my performance. The word is slowly getting out about foam rolling or what is known as the “cheap man’s massage”.
For ages we always thought we had to stretch before activity. Then we came across the dynamic warm up. But where does that leave “knotted” muscles?
This is where foam rolling is quite effective in breaking down these knots.
Since foam rollers are expensive and not totally practical you can use a tennis or soccer ball for these exercises.
A muscle is like an elastic band. If the elastic band is knotted and we try to stretch it, it will become tighter and eventually break. If we roll that elastic band back and forth the knot will eventually get loose and unravel.
This is what occurs with foam rolling for muscles. Tennis balls have a great effect.
Try these three exercises with a tennis ball.
1. Standing Floor Reach
A. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
B. Reach down and touch the ground keeping your back straight.
C. Place a tennis ball underneath your left foot and roll it back and forth for one minute.
D. Repeat the process for the right foot.
E. Reach down and touch the ground and see if you went further.
2. Glute Roll
A. Sit on the ground with your knees bent, both feet flat.
B. Place a tennis ball under your left glute (buttock muscle). Roll back and forth for 30 seconds
C. Repeat for the right side.
3. Hip Rotator Roll
A. Sit on the ground with your knees bent, both feet flat.
B. Place a tennis ball under your left glute (buttock muscle).
C. Cross the left leg over the right leg such that the left ankle rests just past the right knee.
D. Roll back and forth for thirty seconds.
E. Switch sides.
Active Warm -Up is stretching in place.
The following are examples for the major muscle groups of the lower body:
1. Split Squat- This will “stretch” the front of the thigh and the glute muscles:
A. Place one foot in front of the other. There should be at least 3.5ft to 4ft distance from the toe to heel. The back foot should be on its toes and the front foot flat on the ground
B. Keep the body straight.
C. Hands behind head
D. Drop the back knee to the ground
E. Push up through front heel.
Repeat two more times then switch leg positions and repeat.
2. Stationary Lateral Lunge- This will stretch the “groin” muscles
A. Stand with feet at least 3-4 feet apart.
B. Raise you arms in front of you such that your hands are at shoulder level.
C. Sit in the direction of the left heel. Then sit in the direction of the right heel.
Repeat 3-5 times each leg.
3. Foot to Mouth Stretch.
A. Stand with feet shoulder width apart.
B. Raise left knee to hip height.
C. As you raise the knee turn at the hip such that the foot is moving inwards.
D. Hold your foot with both hands and bring the foot as close as possible to your mouth.
E. Complete 3-5 times each leg.
Now we are ready to for the dynamic aspect of the warm up.
Dynamic Warm Up
Now we want to get the body moving with actions mimic and exaggerate movement patterns in a game.
In soccer there are few common movement patterns that need to be addressed in the warm up so there is carry over into the game. It is my opinion that these movement are completed first with out the ball.
Warming up with a ball limits movement! I know there will be some people that will argue this point; however, it has been my experience that most strains (muscle pulls) and sprains (ligament tears) occur when a warm up is completed with a ball.
In a soccer game we know that the following movements occur: straight leg raise on follow through from a shot on goal, opening the hip to receive a ball, lengthening of the hip flexors muscles on a sprint.
So… how many of these actions are limited if you are warming up with a ball? Most of them…
A good dynamic warm up will include the following movements with progression.
Here is an example of a dynamic warm up:
1. 30 second jog
2. 30 seconds heel to buttocks – then jog 10 seconds
3. 30 seconds Backwards – then jog 10 seconds
4. 30 seconds alternating skips with knee to chest – then jog 10 seconds
5. 30 seconds alternating skips with straight leg raise – then jog 10 seconds
6. 30 seconds alternating knee to hip height then out (as in receiving a pass) – then jog 10 seconds
7. 30 seconds Side to side skips leading with the right leg – then jog 10 seconds
8. 30 seconds Side to side skips leading with the right leg – then jog 10 seconds
9. Backward lunge – emphasizing a stretch at the hip-10 times – then jog 10 seconds
10. Forward lunge – emphasizing a stretch at the hip-10 times – then jog 10 second
11. Three quick steps 5-10 times
12. Skip with clap overhead 30 seconds – then jog 10 seconds
13. Skip with clap in front 30 seconds
14. 3-5 sprints -progress from 50% effort to 100% effort.
Increase the speed of the jog as you get further into the dynamic warm up
Now you can introduce ball work.
It is important that each athlete focuses on the skill of the technique as compared to the speed it is done.